"The Dapplebeans Rejuvenation at Sea" June 20, 2009 *TORTOLA/TONS OF PICS*

[RoyalVizier]

It's coming...

 

[SSRJen]

We were on the same cruise. Looking forward to what you did compared to us and your take on things.

 

[MagicMe]

You know we're all very anxious to hear your adventures!!! I know there's someone happy your home - Ollie!!!

 

[firstmickey]

Waiting.

 

[Smileneyes]

We're also waiting to see the cruise from RV's view!

(And, if the trip report doesn't include a picture of the famous flip-flops, we've got one to share!)

 

[IrenicMom]

Looking forward to reading all about it!

 

[anewmac]

cant wait to live through you!

 

[anetnmike]

woo hoo!

 

[Jennifer48]

I'm ready!

 

[RoyalVizier]

The Introduction

Strap yourselves in, folks, because the time has come for this baby to launch. We returned from the 7 night Eastern special itinerary cruise this past Saturday, and we had a remarkable time. Out of four DCL cruises, we are deeming this one the best so far, and it was nearly flawless in every way. There was just one slight blemish tucked within the week, but nothing that caused too great of harm. High points over the week were by far:

• The weather – stunningly magnificent all week.
• The Baths – Tortola day brought adventure.
• Acquaintances – we met DIS friends on this cruise and saw them often throughout the week.

This cruise brought much needed escape to our lives. My wife and I were nearing a breaking point in day-to-day life. I wrote a pre-trip report documenting the planning stage and everything leading up to this cruise (you can check it out HERE if you are so inclined). Just in case you missed the pre-trip report, allow me to summarize the last 12 months in the lives of RV and family:

• My wife was laid off
• Her father passed away
• Her mother moved in with us
• Our home’s dog/cat pet-count reached five
• My wife got a job that she hated with a passion
• My wife was laid off… again
• Finances become remarkably worrisome
• Stresses mounted
• My own job came into question
• I was spared in an ugly lay off spree
• And ultimately my wife and I decided that the need for escape from the mounting pressures was much more important to us than the need to be financially responsible, so a DCL vacation was booked, taken, and enjoyed immensely and here we are.

So did our week on the sea do us some good? I’d have to say that yes, it did… very much. I feel renewed and rejuvenated. I could practically feel the tension release as I crossed the threshold from terminal to Deck 3 atrium. I believe the ocean air gave me a better outlook to the future and a much needed attitude adjustment. I think that the crystal skies infused a renewed determination in my wife to continue with her job search. The smiles haven’t yet left our faces. The memories of this last week are still firmly in place. I just hope all of this positive energy sticks around for a while and doesn’t leave us too quickly.

I guess before I begin this tale I should offer explanation of the title I have chosen for this trip report: The Dapplebeans Rejuvenation at Sea. One of the main points of discussion within my pre-trip report was our nearly two-year-old dapple dachshund pup, Ollie. This dog is the absolute love of my wife’s life, and if there was anything difficult about leaving for a week on this cruise, it was leaving Ollie. So within my pre-trip report, discussion quickly turned to all things Ollie, and one thing led to another, and people started joking about an Ollie fan club and wanting Ollie souvenirs and buttons and well… that was all it took. Dapple is the name for Ollie’s coat, the speckled black and grey markings, and “bean” is what we’ve always thought he looked like when he curls up so cute and tight so… Dapplebeans was born and it stuck.

So are you ready to share in my MAGICAL voyage on the big blue? It’s time…

Up Next: Windsor Knots and BOGO Biscuits

 

[Smileneyes]

An outstanding introduction, RV!

Yes, the weather was incomparable. I received a lot of "look at that tan!" comments from my staff this morning...along with the occasional "I'm jealous!" whan viewing the pics in the digital camera.

I think Disney owes me a finder's fee...convinced two people to book on DCL today.

Keep up the great report!

 

[Evette]

Can't wait to read all about your trip!!

 

[my3m]

and please dont let us WAITING
Really can't wait.

 

[anewmac]

Great intro. Glad it was the best for you, yall deserved it.

Man I wish we would have stayed on it... I thought of yall all week.. (cursed you a few times LOL) Cant wait to read the play by play!

 

[anetnmike]

awesome intro RV, can't wait for the rest of the story...

 

[LisaSp]

Also subscribing--looking forward to reading your report...and so glad the trip was everything you'd hoped it would be!

 

[Jennifer48]

That is one of the best openings I've ever read. I'm so glad to hear that this cruise helped rejuvenate you and your DW. I can't wait to read all about it, especially your day at the Baths. We had the tour booked for our cruise in September and it was canceled. I'd love to do this on our own, just trying to figure out the best way.

 

[RoyalVizier]

We're also waiting to see the cruise from RV's view!

(And, if the trip report doesn't include a picture of the famous flip-flops, we've got one to share!)

I think the flip flops will make an appearance, but I'd love to see what you've got as well.

I can't wait to read all about it, especially your day at the Baths. We had the tour booked for our cruise in September and it was canceled. I'd love to do this on our own, just trying to figure out the best way.

Definitely do the Baths on your own. It was so easy. We felt safe and the ferry transport and open air taxi transport were very reliable and easy. Cheaper too. I'll give a complete blow by blow. Not necessarily within the next few installments, but coming I promise. There will be many photos as well. We took over 200 photos just at the Baths.

Next part coming right up...

 

[RoyalVizier]

Day 1: Windsor Knots and BOGO Biscuits

The first time I looked sleepily at the bedside clock on Saturday morning it was 4:15 am. I let out a whimper and a groan but luckily was able to roll over and go back to sleep. The second time I looked at the bedside clock on Saturday morning it was 5:15 am. Hm… obviously my internal clock works best at hour intervals. I attempted the “roll over and go back to sleep” maneuver again, but it didn’t quite work that way. So I grabbed the Macbook from the bedside and checked out the DIS for a bit and then Facebook (I had to tend to my Superpoke Pet dragon, Gus, and explain to him that we were going to be gone for a few days and that he wasn’t allowed to die while I was away) for a few minutes and, what do you know, my eyes began to get very heavy, and I felt I’d be able to sleep just a bit longer. The third time I gazed more wide-eyed at the bedside clock on Saturday morning it was 6:15 am, and that was the end of sleep. I had evidently ingested the vacation bug sometime within that last hour, and it had firmly planted its fat body and spindly legs deep in my belly where it was squirming and writhing away! It was vacation day!

So at 6:15 am I was up out of bed, and I headed downstairs to sit in front of the TV. I was sitting there watching VH1 when out of the blue I became very worried about whether or not I would remember how to tie my tie’s once I got on the ship! Yes, this is what I was thinking about while watching Lady Gaga on VH1 at 6:15 in the morning on my sail away day. Now, I do not regularly wear ties. Actually, I pretty much never wear ties. My work doesn’t call for suit and tie attire. I work in a business casual environment and, I get by with slacks and some sort of collared or button-down shirt, but no tie. Well my family likes to dress up a bit for dinner when we are on a cruise, and it was decided several days previously that I wanted to wear a tie on a few of the nights (even bought a few brand new ones). Well it had been years since I had worn a tie so where do you refresh yourself on how to tie a tie? Well the internet of course! So a few days prior, after purchasing the new ties, I had watched a few instructional videos on YouTube, and did you know that there are bagillions of tie knots? Who knew? Actually, probably everybody except for me. So anyway I chose the Windsor Knot because it was touted as the classiest and the “king of knots”. So I had watched the video a couple of times and I felt that it was easy enough and thought that I had it down… that is, until I was sitting in my chair watching VH1 on Saturday morning at 6:15 am. Stress over remembering how to tie my tie in a perfect Windsor Knot engulfed my brain, and I began to have visions of myself charging out of my stateroom, half-dressed, tie in hand, having to ask some random stranger in the hallway to tie my tie or I’d be late for dinner.

So I went back up to the bedroom, got back on the laptop, and re-watched the video (while my wife slumbered peacefully beside me), this time tie in hand. After re-watching for the second time, I figured I’d better write this down. The rabbit hops up through the loop then around the back… blah blah blah. Tie tying instructions are on the first page of my trip report journal! I’m a tie-idiot. But I got it! And it looked good! A perfect Windsor Knot holding a beautiful tie in place… hanging there… over my hole-riddled, ratty old comfy t-shirt and jammie bottoms. Sorry, no picture.

Well the morning progressed. Everyone started to stir and get out of bed, the finishing touches were put on packing, and the dogs were loved on a bit more than usual (which is a lot).

Ollie helped of course.

Boy, if she could have closed him comfortably up in that suitcase she would have in a heartbeat!

My dad was scheduled to pick us up at 9:45 am to drive us over to the port, so at about 9:00 am we realized we were hungry and needed something for breakfast. My daughter piped up wanting McDonalds so she and I took everyone’s order and drove over to McDonalds. My wife and I had sausage, egg, and cheese McGriddles, of course (they are quite amazing and those little, sweet pearls of syrup baked into the pancakey goodness just burst in your mouth!), and the other two had sausage biscuits (booooooor-ring!). Upon ordering the biscuits, the staticy voice inside of the drive-up machine told us that the biscuit sandwiches were Buy One Get One Free! Joy and rapture! Free stuff to launch our vacation… wonderful! Nothing like launching a vacation week with a sack full of greasy, fatty goodness!

Back home we stood around the kitchen island eating and waiting.

Shhhhh... they don't need to know that I posted this picture.

I’d like to say that I devoured the extra sandwiches, but I decided to take the high road and leave them in the fridge for my mother in law to eat over the week. Couldn’t let her starve there on her own, could I? Plus I didn’t want to stuff myself silly when Topsiders was waiting! It was that weird time where you’re completely ready to walk out the door, but you’re relying on someone else for transportation. We were itching to get moving. The luggage was next to the front door. So we stood there.

And then my wife plummeted into the panic pit. She couldn’t find her Dapplebeans button. Yes folks… Ollie fan club buttons were made so that she could wear him close to her heart always and share his dapple-lovin’ self with others as well as spread weenie-dog love all over the oceans waters.

Here's the original prototype design sheet for the regular sized buttons that would go to us commoners:

Remarkably, others that heard about the idea of the buttons also expressed interest in owning their very own Dapplebeans button, and actually… we got quite a lot of mileage out of her wearing that button everywhere she went (HI JOANNE FROM TEXAS!!). We ended up making several of the regular sized buttons, but then my wife wanted one bigger one that was unique just for her, President, Founder, and Momma you know...

This thing was big!

Like a giant Ollie-beacon beckoning from her shirt… and it was now missing!

She was frantic. She was alarmed. You’d think we had lost our birth certificates or our daughter. Of course this was my doing because I was admittedly the last one to have it. I remembered having it in my hand up in our bedroom so that I could bring it downstairs on my next trip down, but then… I draw a blank. We looked upstairs, downstairs, in bags, in luggage, under cushions… twice, three times… and then it was found. Right there on the bed, plain as day, just sitting there, where everyone had looked twice. Isn’t that always the way?! I think the house sighed in relief right along with us.

Needless to say she was thrilled and all was again right with the world.

This brought us up to 9:45 am, and my dad showed up, we loaded the car, and we said our goodbyes.

I had to pry my wife away from Ollie.

So finally we piled into the car and headed to the ship.

Up Next: APLAPLA to PLAPLAP and DIS Friends

 

[firstmickey]

I can't even make fun of your tie tying thing at 6:15am because I am an obsessive compulsive nutjob also.

Could you please hurry and get on the boat already!